


Sleepless Nights

by Close_enough_to_lose



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 11:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9178804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Close_enough_to_lose/pseuds/Close_enough_to_lose
Summary: Cecil hasn't yet recovered from Carlos' one year absence; Carlos comforts him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I found some fluff I wrote shortly after the end of the Year 3 arc. I decided to revise it a bit and post it here. The world needs more cute Cecilos fluff.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

It has been three weeks -- or what seemed to last three weeks: this measure of time, ultimately, indicates absolutely nothing, as time is not real -- since Carlos returned home. It was dreamlike, to have beloved Carlos back beside him and have his freedom returned all at once. Well, whatever freedom one can have, with the Sheriff’s Secret Police watching and all that. It was good to have life back to normal. Cecil was glad that his daily dose of worries was reduced back to anticipating some cataclysm, losing another intern or preparing for another street cleaning day. He could not remember being more happy or relieved. Despite all, Cecil could not shake the feeling something was about to go terribly wrong. Of course, all Night Vale citizens were required to feel that way, as it was the most effective defense mechanism against danger (and also because it was mandated by the City Council), but this was different. After a year of being dimensions apart from his dearest scientist, he realized how easy it was to lose him, how one closed door could keep people apart for so long. He would sometimes remember how Carlos almost met his end at lane 5 of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Fun Complex, and how he could do nothing but report the news, completely helpless. After all, Cecil was a reporter, not a hero, and he did not know how to keep Carlos safe.

That is why, in addition to government assigned nightmares, Cecil had tormenting dreams of his own creation. He drifted in and out of sleep, not sure if he was woken by the chants outside or by his own frantic heartbeat. He looked at Carlos lying beside him, a peaceful expression gracing his traits. He’s safe, Cecil sighed, relieved. He’s safe. He tried to go back to sleep, but ended up tossing and turning instead, as the government decided to spare Cecil Palmer of mandatory dreams that night. He considered waking Carlos, just so he could hear his voice telling him everything is fine, but dismissed the thought. Carlos was a deep sleeper, and besides, the year he spent in the desert otherworld has worn him out too. It would be selfish to wake him, Cecil decided, and closed his eyes, trying to clear his head of thought. Focus on your breath, he told himself. Focus on Carlos’ breath. His thoughts did not clear, despite his efforts. His thoughts danced, bounced and turned darker with each spin. For a split second, he wanted to go back to being owned, manipulated in a way that rid him of consciousness, then promptly berated himself for that, remembering how helpless he felt and how he never wished to feel that way again. He did not notice Carlos moving behind him.

“Ceec’? You okay?” he mumbled in a sleepy voice.

“I, uh ... Carlos, what are you doing awake?” Cecil said with a nervous laughter. If he could quickly brush it off as nothing, Carlos will go back to sleep. He would not have to bother him.

“I felt you moving, thought it was unusual, I guess.”

“Well, you know me! I’m a light sleeper. In and out of sleep, reacting to the smallest noise, and all that.”

“I meant, more than usual.” Carlos had a serious look to him, despite his messy hair and the usual confused air a person has when they have just woken up. “Statistically speaking, you moved 20% more than usual. I know this because I am a scientist and it is my duty to keep track of important information, even in my sleep. And of course, I was startled by this change, and so I am awake now.”

Cecil did not reply. Oh well, there was no use trying to fool a scientist.

“So, Ceec, what’s wrong?” 

Cecil was still silent, trying to organize his jumbled feelings into neatly arranged words. He looked at Carlos’ dark, smart eyes. He saw Carlos’ encouraging smile and perfect hair. He reached for one particularly misplaced lock and played with it. He took everything into account and noted how _fragile_ it all was, how happy it made him and how completely devastated he would be if he lost that.

“I’m ... sorry I woke you up,” was all he managed to say.

Carlos chuckled a bit. It was so strange, how a person whose career is built upon words, could be at loss of the very thing that made their life. He found it a bit endearing that Cecil cared about the amount of sleep he was getting, yet also found it worrying that Cecil cared so little about himself. He stroked Cecil’s cheek with his finger.

“Cecil, it’s okay.”

“But I ...”

“Don’t change the subject. Please. I can feel that something’s bothering you. You can tell me. Unless you feel uncomfortable, of course.”

“I’m afraid”, he simply said, after a small pause.

“That’s okay,” Carlos replied. “We’re all afraid sometimes.”

“Yes, I guess you’re right. This is a bit different, though.”

“Oh?”

Cecil stopped moving the lock of dark hair between his fingers for a moment.

“I...”

“Go on,” Carlos encouraged.

“I’m afraid there will come a day I will lose you, and this time for good,” he finally admitted.

“Oh Cecil”

Carlos reached for Cecil and held him in a tight embrace. With these warm, strong arms around him, Cecil could feel some of his worry disappear. His pulse steadied at last. He wanted to be held like this forever. He wanted to know this warmth will not leave him. He lived just fine before he knew Carlos, but now, the mere thought of his absence was unbearable.

“Cecil, I want you to know something.”

“What?”

“As long as I am breathing, I will do anything I can so you won’t have to feel alone.”

“I know that. I know. And I thank you for that. But,” Cecil gulped nervously. “What if something happens and ... you’re no longer, uh, breathing?”

“Cecil, I’ll be fine. A scientist is always fine.”

“No, Carlos, a scientist is _usually_ fine. You know it better than me. I’m scared that one day, you won’t be fine, and I won’t be able to help.”

“Okay. I see your point. I cannot reassure you I will be fine in the future. But Cecil, right now, I’m here, and it’s all that matters.”

“But -”

“I know it’s hard for you to focus on the present. I do. We can work on that. But for now, the only thing I can do is promise I will do my best to be safe. I don’t want to promise you I will be okay, because it’s not a promise I can keep, and I don’t want to hurt you by lying. But I’ll take extra precautions when my danger meter is in the red. Is that okay with you, honey?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“I might not always be fine, but if it makes you feel any better, my survival rate is a 100%.”

Again, Cecil told himself, science is undisputable.

“Okay,” Cecil whispered. “Okay. I promise you I’ll get better too.”

“Ceec, it’s fine if you’re not okay. You don’t have to always be okay. Take your time. And also, I want to let you know something.”

“What?”

“Don’t feel bad for waking me up if this ever happens to you again, m’kay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Carlos.”

“That’s not all.”

“What else?”

“I love you.”

Cecil snuggled up to Carlos and buried his face in his chest.

“I love you too.”


End file.
